After the three shows performed so well, it comes as no surprise that Revolution, Go On, and The New Normal are getting the full-season treatment at NBC. According to a press release from the network, NBC’s Entertainment President Jennifer Salke explained it thusly: “We’re impressed with the imagination and creative direction of the entire team on Revolution, not to mention the immediately strong response we got from the audience … We’re also very proud of our new comedy block of Go On and The New Normal.”
And proud they should be: the shows helped NBC garner its first premiere-week win in the adults 18-49 demographic–the first time the network’s had such luck in nine years. It also shows a strengthened resolve for committing to scripted programming and its place on television.
To get technical a minute, here’s how it all breaks down: Revolution‘s ratings have averaged around 9.8 million viewers, with its premiere garnering the highest rating (in the 18-49 demographic) for a new drama on any network in the last three years–not too shabby! Go On has had similar success on the comedy front, with Matthew Perry‘s show premiering with the best rating (in the 18-49 demographic) that the network has seen in the past two years. The New Normal is steadily averaging 6.0 million viewers–proving yet again that the force is still strong with Ryan Murphy.
“We’re very pleased with early results of the last three weeks of our fall season roll-out,” explained NBC Chairman Bob Greenblatt. “The strategy for this season was to draft off the promotional platform of the Olympics and then begin our season early and strong. I think we’ve accomplished both of those goals, yet we know it’s a long season and there’s much work ahead of us.”
All of this points to one really positive sign: don’t count those scripted TV shows out yet. Rating dominance isn’t just for reality television! NBC’s programs (especially their comedies) have always come with critical praise, but not always the numbers–leaving the network stuck between a rock (awards season!) and a hard place (ad sales). This upturn in their favor, though, will ultimately bode well for everyone involved: better ratings for their scripted shows allows for a bit more flexibility when it comes to letting shows grow with time rather than facing the intense pressure of being a ratings wunderkind from episode one. With any luck, this trend will continue for scripted programming overall. And then we’d really have an interesting ball game ahead of us: more scripted options means more competition–and that means the pressure to be really good will be on. Working with–not against–scripted television is worth it.
[Photo Credit: NBC]
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More:
Everything You Need to Know Before Watching NBC’s Big Mystery ‘Revolution’
Fun with Ratings: NBC Still Wins, Even with Competition
NBC is Number One! 15 Things That Were True Last Time The Peacock Was on Top
